Leviticus 19
Leviticus 19 gathers many commands about the holiness of Israel’s daily life. The chapter opens with the command, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” It connects worship, family, neighbor love, justice, economic honesty, and social responsibility, showing that holiness is practiced in ordinary relationships and concrete actions.
1verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2verse“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
3verse“‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
4verse“‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.
5verse“‘When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.
6verseIt shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire.
7verseIf it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted;
8versebut everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of the LORD, and that soul shall be cut off from his people.
9verse“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10verseYou shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
11verse“‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another.
12verse“‘You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13verse“‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
14verse“‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
15verse“‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
16verse“‘You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people. “‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
17verse“‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
18verse“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
19verse“‘You shall keep my statutes. “‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “‘Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material.
20verse“‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21verseHe shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22verseThe priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.
23verse“‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. For three years it shall be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten.
24verseBut in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to the LORD.
25verseIn the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am the LORD your God.
26verse“‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.
27verse“‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard.
28verse“‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am the LORD.
29verse“‘Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.
30verse“‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am the LORD.
31verse“‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32verse“‘You shall rise up before the gray head and honor the face of the elderly; and you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
33verse“‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
34verseThe stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
35verse“‘You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.
36verseYou shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37verse“‘You shall observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them. I am the LORD.’”
Main Content and Flow of the Text
- Emphasis on holiness (vv. 1–2): God commands His people to be holy because He is holy.
- Honor for parents and Sabbath-keeping (v. 3): Family order and worship are placed at the center of covenant life.
- Prohibition of idolatry (v. 4): Israel must preserve its spiritual identity by worshiping the LORD alone.
- Love of neighbor and social justice (vv. 9–18): The people are commanded to leave gleanings for the poor and the foreigner, deal honestly, avoid theft and falsehood, judge fairly, and refuse vengeance or grudges.
- Standards for a distinct life (vv. 19–37): The chapter includes regulations concerning mixtures, sexual wrongdoing, food, occult practices, care for the elderly and foreigners, and honest weights and measures.
Overall, the chapter joins relationship with God and responsibility toward neighbors into one life of holiness.
Points for Reflection
- What does holiness mean in the ordinary routines of my life?
- How are honesty, fairness, mercy, and neighbor-love being practiced in my relationships?
- As God repeatedly declares, “I am the LORD,” consider again who truly governs my life.
Put It into Practice for Yourself
- Remember that honest and righteous decisions in small daily matters are part of holiness.
- Practice respect and care for others, and put away prejudice, hatred, and exploitation.
- Ask what needs to change so that my life is faithful both toward God and toward people.
